First NC government protester tried found guilty

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – The first activist to face trial for being arrested during this year’s mass protests at the North Carolina legislature has been found guilty on all charges.

Wake County District Court Judge Joy Hamilton passed her sentence Friday on defendant Saladin Muammad after a nearly six-hour trial.

Hamilton found the 68-year-old retired factory worker from Rocky Mount guilty of misdemeanor charges for trespassing, failing to disperse and violating building rules at a May 13 protest. He was sentenced to pay a $100 fine.

Muammad’s lawyer gave immediate notice of appeal.

More than 940 people were arrested during the 2013 legislative session, which saw North Carolina take a sharp rightward turn as Republicans exerted control over the General Assembly and the governor’s mansion for the first time in more than a century.

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